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Congressman
Elijah E. Cummings |
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Congressman
Elijah E. Cummings |
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(4/30/05 Baltimore AFRO-American Newspaper)
Rites of Passage
by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
“There is a chill in the air this evening,” I thought to myself earlier this month as I drove toward a speaking engagement at a Catonsville church. Then, I realized that the source of the chill that I was feeling was not the weather - but, rather, the message written on the wall of the abandoned building that I was passing.
“R.I.P., Bobby,” the spray-painted letters on the building cried out to the world.
It was a chilling epitaph for a desperate time - a time in which children are killing other children and we seem to be surrounded by the signs of death.
In such a world, it is hard to avoid these signs of despair. Yet, it is up to us to replace them with signs of promise and hope.
By the time that I reached Catonsville’s Morning Star Baptist Church that night, my spirits were already being restored. I had been asked to worship that evening in a church that has been called to uplift young lives by a force more powerful than death.
So, I was not entirely surprised to find Morning Star’s parking lot overflowing and a standing-room-only gathering inside. We had come together that evening to acknowledge forty wonderful young men and boys - and the older men who have restored to them the God-given promise in every life.
The image of those wonderful young people is a memory that I will not soon forget. As I looked into their eyes from Morning Star’s pulpit that night, I saw row-upon-row of strong, confident young men who were calm, disciplined and filled with respect.
They call themselves the “Young Lions,” and I am convinced that each of them will become an important force for good in our community.
I can predict bright futures for them because of a vision that Morning Star’s Pastor, Bishop Dwayne Debnam, received - a vision that eight committed men of his congregation have stepped forward to transform into a successful mission.
“You have been taught to have confidence in your own competence,” I told the Young Lions that evening. “Now, each of you will define your own future and not be led astray. Your younger brothers and sisters will look up to you, and they will follow in your footsteps.”
How Morning Star Baptist Church accomplished this miracle is a lesson that I hope other churches in our community will take to heart.
Bishop Debnam’s vision was profound.
All too often, Bishop Debnam realized, some of the young African American males in his church were struggling to negotiate their passage out of childhood without fathers or any other positive male role model in their lives. Without this guidance and concern, he understood, many of these children would be lost.
In response to these harsh realities, the Pastor asked successful men in his congregation to step forward and take charge.
“We must pour into others what was poured into us,” he explained. “We owe our young men the gift of our experience - and the opportunity to grow.”
Eight strong men did step forward at Morning Star Baptist Church last year, devoting hours upon hours to developing their youth ministry and committing themselves to become and remain a positive force in the lives of the teenagers who were to become the “Young Lions.”
These eight positive men went to work; and on that Friday evening six months later, the transformation in forty young lives was visible for all to see.
To illustrate this transformation, consider a young man named Devin. At first, Devin had no idea about how to treat the women in his life - nor any understanding about the importance of commitment on his part.
Now, after six months in the Young Lions mentoring program, Devin realizes that he must give both commitment and respect if he wishes to receive these values in return.
Shawn, when asked six months ago whether having a father in his home would be a “need” or a “want,” could answer only that it was something that he wanted. He never had a father in his life.
Today, however, Shawn will tell you that “if God gives me children, I’m going to make certain that I stay with them until they are grown.”
Marcus used to retaliate immediately if anyone said something to him that he considered a challenge. Now, he can hold back for awhile and consider his response. He has learned how to keep these conflicts from escalating into tragedy.
Understanding the basics of positive relationships, the importance of a lasting commitment to fatherhood and the necessity of developing skills to resolve the conflicts in their lives before they occur - these Young Lions are now ready for their passage into adult life.
Fifteen of the young men are graduating - with college in their future. The remainder will be returning to the program during the coming year.
Equally important, the Rites of Passage celebration that I shared with them last week was the beginning of a continuing story of success - not the end.
The Young Lions and their adult male mentors have formed strong, trusting relationships that will endure throughout their lives. In time, the students will themselves become teachers, reaching out and guiding the young people who will follow in their footsteps.
This is how one church is working to transform our community.
“We received this vision,” Bishop Debnam declares, “because God could trust us with it.”
I have taken this opportunity to share his vision with you because I am sickened to death by all of the children who are dying in our community. We must erase those letters, R.I.P., from our walls.
For each of us, this is our own Rite of Passage. Like the Young Lions, we, too, are confronted by a choice.
Do we turn away from our children, allowing them to be consumed by the dangers of our time - or do we take their outstretched hands and help them to grow and survive?
We are on a journey where we have the power to save young lives. Thank you, Morning Star and Bishop Debnam, for being shining examples of how we all can do just that.
-The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.
